Over the month of December, we’re going to take a look at Surrey’s 25 greatest men’s and 10 greatest women’s cricketers of the 21st century to celebrate an incredible quarter of a century for the Club. The list has been compiled by some great Surrey minds, taking personal numbers, honours and a general impact on the Club into consideration.
The release of the list of top 25 players will be spread out over the month of December to bring festive cheer to Members and supporters alike.
20. MORNE MORKEL
Morne Morkel was just the right man when Surrey pursued their first County Championship title since 2002 when he arrived at the Kia Oval in 2018, the first of his three seasons. The South African’s speed and hostility earned 63 wickets at 14 in just 10 matches, giving the attack a razor edge it had previously lacked. He also played some handy innings too, and it was fitting that he was at the wicket at Worcester when that title was secured.
19. BEN FOAKES
Among Surrey’s list of superb wicketkeepers, Ben Foakes easily holds his place. His prehensile reflexes behind the stumps have brought off many an unlikely dismissal – already passing 500 – since arriving from Essex in 2015, setting a sublime example for his Surrey colleagues in the field. His elegant batting has yielded almost 10,000 first-class runs with two centuries in his 25 Tests.
18. OLLIE POPE
Averaging a mighty 60 whenever he goes to the wicket in first-class cricket for Surrey, Ollie Pope is the embodiment of a young player who rose through the county’s ranks to reach the top level. He rarely seems to be out of the game – when international commitments allow – whether it’s catching shells in the slips or donning the wicketkeeper gloves, a role he has also filled with distinction for England.
17. Jordan Clark
Surrey’s hat-trick of County Championship titles in 2022-24 would not have been possible without Jordan Clark. Arriving from Lancashire in 2019, his all-round contribution proved to be immense, taking vital wickets, turning in crucial spells and producing match-turning knocks just when the pressure was at its steepest. Clark’s relish for the pivotal moments in matches makes him a captain’s dream.
16. Rikki Clarke
Prehensile reflexes which enabled him to make the most difficult catches looking routine were just a feature of Rikki Clarke’s all-round ability. The lofty all-rounder made most impact with the bat for his native county initially but being able to bowl sharp spells and snap up anything which went near him soon lifted him to international level. Nine years away at first Derbyshire and then Warwickshire were ended by the return of a much more mature player who was at the heart of Surrey’s 2018 Championship title.
